Header files are files that are included in other files prior to compilation by a programming language preprocessor. Some header files, such as stdio.h, are defined at the computer operating system level and must be included by any program using a standard input/output (I/O) library. Header files are also used to specify data declarations and “defines”, i.e. definitions, that are needed by more than one computer program. Header files are typically functionally organized, i.e., declarations for separate software or hardware subsystems are in separate header files. Also, if a set of declarations is likely to change when code is ported from one machine to another, those declarations are typically in a separate header file.
Header files that declare software functions or external variables are typically included in the file that defines the function or variable. That way, the compiler can do type checking and the external declaration will always agree with the definition.
Prior to this method, the constant values would be defined in separate files in all of the environments for the project as described above. A comment would be placed above the constant definitions warning any future programmer that if they change any of those constant values that they should also change them in the other header files in other programming environment(s). This manual method of “multiply defining” values is error prone and causes drastic program failures. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method to reduce or eliminate multiple definition of constants errors because of different programming languages used in the header file.
There are times in programming projects that constant defined values (#define name value” in “C”, for example) are needed in other components of the project that are written in a different programming language(s). The header files (files where the constants are defined) might not be able to be read by the other programming language(s).
If the same constant values or constant entries are defined in more than one programming environment, it is possible for one instance of the value to be changed without updating all other instances of the value. Constant entries having different values causes catastrophic errors in the program.
The only other prior solution is to put comments near the values used in multiple locations warning users that if they change the value to make sure that the other locations of the constant entry are also updated. This manual process is error prone and time consuming. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an automatic method of updating constant values.
Because the constant values may be located in multiple, different programming language versions of a header file, it is necessary to ensure that the different language header files be synchronized. Thus, if a constant value in a first header file in programming language A is modified and the same constant value is used in a second header file in a second programming language B, then the constant value in the second header file needs to be modified, as well. Thus, there is a need in the art for an automatic method of generating a header file in a programming language based on a header file in a different programming language.